Young Adult Fiction First Pages with Paige Terlip
April 20th, 2022 - May 16th, 2022
with Emily M. Bailey
In this intimate workshop, you'll receive a written critique of your opening 15 pages (3750 words) from literary agent Paige Terlip of Andrea Brown Literary Agency, plus get the opportunity to speak to Paige individually in the live group call that follows critiques. You'll also exchange critiques within your group of up to 7 writers.
Paige's wishlist includes -- High concept novels with captivating hooks, snarky characters with hearts of gold, creative magic systems, complicated relationships, and found families. She loves well-plotted twists, being a little bit scared, and stories that explore the fluidity of gender and bring queer experiences to light. Regardless of genre, she is seeking inclusive, intersectional voices and gorgeous line-level writing with emotionally compelling narratives.
How it works
You'll submit your pages at the group start, then spend the next weeks critiquing peer stories. Paige will submit her notes near the critique deadline. After critiques are complete, we host a 2-hour group debrief, in which each writer gets 15 minutes of individual time with Paige to dig into feedback, brainstorm next steps, and discuss any writing questions.
Our goal with these events is to help writers become stronger storytellers. That said, each opening pages event we offer also comes with a submission opportunity.
About the group workshop format
Participants should be sure they have at least 1 hour to give for critiquing each person's manuscript (plus reading time). Because this is a group of 7, this means you should have at least 6 hours available for your peers' stories.
This makes for an intense workload for the few weeks of peer critique. However, we've also found that this format accelerates learning because you are able to read a professional's feedback on each story you have read and critiqued, and you will listen to each one-on-one in the debrief. Many writers have told us that listening and learning from the professional's notes to others has been just as beneficial to their learning as the feedback on their own work.
We are pleased to offer a workshop spot free of charge to a writer of color or from a traditionally marginalized background.
Notes
Who this workshop is for: This workshop is best suited for writers querying, preparing to query, or who have an agent but are looking for a high level educational opportunity.
Focus: Children's - Young Adult - Contemporary fiction - Children'…
Group size: 7 writers
Submissions: There will be one submission of your first 3750 words (approximately 15 pages) at the workshop start. Participants should also plan to share their pitch/short summary with their pages. Your pitch is not included in the word count and will not be critiqued.
Fee
Members: $105; Non-members: $127
We are pleased to offer a spot free of charge to a writer from a historically marginalized group. Applications for this scholarship have closed.
About Emily M. Bailey
Paige Terlip represents all categories of children’s books from picture books to young adult, as well as select adult fiction and nonfiction.
Across age categories, Paige is drawn to high concept novels with captivating hooks, snarky characters with hearts of gold, creative magic systems, complicated relationships, and found families. She loves well-plotted twists, being a little bit scared, and stories that explore the fluidity of gender and bring the queer experience to light. Regardless of genre, she is seeking inclusive, intersectional voices and gorgeous line-level writing with emotionally compelling narratives. She loves stories that make her feel a range of emotions, even if that means she ugly cries while reading. She wants a narrative that will stick with her long after reading.
Paige has been with ABLA since 2017. She comes to agenting with a background in marketing, design, and freelance editorial. She’s worked at Charlesbridge Publishing, The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and a ranch in the Rockies. She has an MA in Children's Literature and an MFA in Writing for Children from Simmons University.
You can find her on Twitter (@pterlip) (https://twitter.com/pterlip), Instagram (@pterlip) (https://www.instagram.com/pterlip/), and at www.paigeterlip.com.
Critique style:
I truly think revision is magical. Stories evolve in amazing ways during the revision process, and it’s my job to help you on the revision journey. With that in mind, I am pretty direct with my feedback, but I always try for balance—it’s just as important to know what is working as what might need more attention. I focus on big picture critique combined with specific examples and line-level notes where changes might make the most impact. My goal is to ask the right questions which inspire the creativity to take your story to the next level.
Schedule:
Wed, April 20th - Writers submit
Mon, May 9th - Critiques due
Thurs, May 12th, 4-6 pm ET - Debrief call